Michael Simoneau, SVP and community outreach officer for the $259 million, Manchester, N.H.-based Members First Credit Union, was appointed to the City of Manchester's Heritage Commission.

Michael Simoneau

In this role, Simoneau will work alongside other commission members to protect and preserve the city's historically significant sites and structures. The Heritage Commission is responsible for ensuring the proper recognition, use and protection of Manchester's valuable resources, including those with historic, cultural and aesthetic significance. It also reviews qualifying outdoor building permit applications in the city's historic districts, assessing their potential impact on these areas. Simoneau has over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry, and in his role at Members First, he has focused on fostering relationships with the community. He also serves on the City of Manchester's Zoning Board of Adjustment and as a board member for Families in Transition. He is a graduate of the Leadership Greater Manchester program.

Brian Harrington

The $2.2 billion, Lawrence, Mass.-based Merrimack Valley Credit Union hired Brian Harrington as vice president of finance and treasury. Harrington began his career in banking at State Street and subsequently held roles at other large financial institutions including Liberty Mutual, Citizens Bank and Amundi US (formerly Pioneer Investments). He joined the world of community banking at Newburyport Bank, where he worked as a senior financial analyst, assistant vice president and vice president, director of financial planning and analysis. Most recently, he served as vice president of financial planning and analysis at the $1.9 billion, Portsmouth, N.H.-based Lighthouse Credit Union (formerly Northeast Credit Union). In his new role, Harrington will oversee MVCU's financial operations and strategic financial planning, playing a critical part in ensuring the credit union's continued financial stability and growth. He holds a graduate degree in finance from Suffolk University in Boston.

LEAGUES

GoWest Credit Union Association announced four individual 2024 GoWest Award Winners.

Nicole Davison León, board director for the $1.7 billion, Tigard, Ore.-based Unitus Community Credit Union and executive director of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber in Portland, Ore., was named Distinguished Director of the Year. The Distinguished Director is someone who has displayed outstanding achievements and accomplishments as a credit union board member.

Nicole Davison León (second from right)
Credit/GoWest Credit Union Association

Scott Sager, CFO for the $383 million, Littleton, Colo.-based Colorado Credit Union, was named Young Professional of the Year. Sager has been involved in the credit union movement for more than a decade and was instrumental in establishing his local Young Credit Union Professionals group. In his seven years of service with the group, he helped found and played a key role in developing GoWest's annual Young Professional Summit.

Scott Sager (third from right)
Credit/GoWest Credit Union Association

Dan Thurman, CEO of the $662 million, Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Frontier Credit Union, was named Summit Advocate. This award is presented to a credit union professional who demonstrates commitment and leadership in credit union advocacy and recognizes participation in the legislative and political process is essential for the long-term success of the credit union movement. Thurman began working in the credit union movement in 2002 and has led advocacy efforts for credit unions across Idaho and the nation.

Dan Thurman (third from left)
Credit/GoWest Credit Union Association

Teri Robinson, CEO of the $121 million, Portland, Ore.-based Ironworkers USA Credit Union, was named Summit Icon. This award recognizes a credit union professional who exemplifies outstanding leadership in the credit union movement in advocacy efforts, social responsibility, credit union philosophy and community impact.

Teri Robinson with GoWest Credit Union Association President/CEO Troy Stang. (Credit/GoWest Credit Union Association)

VENDORS

John Roper

SMA Technologies, a Houston-based provider of a workload automation and orchestration platform for banks, credit unions and other financial services businesses, hired John Roper as chief revenue officer. In his new role, Roper will oversee the sales, customer success and partner teams, setting the strategic direction for SMA's go-to-market activities. He brings over 20 years of experience leading companies through growth phases and driving strategic initiatives. Most recently, Roper served as chief revenue officer at Abrigo. His background also includes leadership roles at Sageworks (acquired by AKKR in 2018 and rebranded as Abrigo), Deloitte and Parata Systems, a BD company.

Chad Haydar

The New York, N.Y.-based customer interaction platform provider Glia hired Chad Haydar as SVP of alliances and channels. In his new role, Haydar will deepen partner relationships and broaden the company's growing ecosystem, helping Glia and its partners achieve shared goals and continue to accelerate momentum in the market. He will also expand and amplify strategic relationships and diversify Glia's extensive partner network to drive growth and joint success. Haydar's team is responsible for supporting, enabling and creating value alongside the company's growing community of integration partners, resellers, ISVs and distributors. Haydar brings over 20 years of experience building diverse partner ecosystems and successful go-to-market strategies for SaaS and technology companies. He most recently served as SVP of channels at contact center technology company Talkdesk. Prior to that, Haydar spent seven years at Oracle leading channel development across multiple global segments.

Please send your People news items to Natasha Chilingerian at [email protected].